Policy Recommendations Announced In August

The Conservation Voters New Mexico Education Fund has spent two years surveying residents of the South Valley and Westgate neighborhoods to identify their environmental concerns.

In the first survey in 2015, residents said air quality, or the lack of it, was their biggest concern.

Then, in the summer of 2016, area residents were surveyed again and said that one way to alleviate their air quality problems would be to have better transportation options.

And now, those residents are being surveyed yet again to determine exactly what they mean by better transportation options. Does it mean more buses and bus routes? More bike lanes? Something else?

By August, a third survey will be complete and the CVNM Education Fund’s Juntos program will be ready to help the neighborhoods make recommendations about how to get what they need, and who they should try to get it from.

The latest survey effort will kick off at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 25, at Camino De Vida Presbyterian Church, 3907 Isleta Blvd. SW.

“We want to answer: what would give our communities in the South Valley and Westgate clean air?,” CVNM said in announcing the new survey. “After that, the community will lead an analysis of the information they gather. Then in late August, we’ll announce our policy recommendations that came from the community directly.”

CVNM spokesperson Liliana Castillo said that surveyors often go door-to-door in order to reach residents and get their opinions. Each of the first two surveys had around 800 respondents, Castillo said.